The castle ruin of Spissky Hrad should - if I was the Tourist Minister - really be the logotype of the country. Spissky Hrad is the biggest castle ruin in central Europe and an absolute must-see for anyone travelling in Slovakia.

You can spot the ruin from miles away where it sits on its hill-top, standing out like a beacon, overlooking a landscape that ends far away with the snow covered peaks of the Tatra Mountains. It is both spectacular and photogenic.

The castle was built in the early 12th century by Hungarian Kings and many royal families have lived here through the years until the Csaky family took over in 1636 but quickly decided that a hill-top castle was not there type of life and instead built a modern mansion in the valley. In 1780 the castle burnt down and has been deserted ever since.

Arriving to the small village of Spissky Podhradie is possible by train and the climb uphill to the castle starts more or less by the train station. It's a tough one-hour walk uphill until you reach the gates and then you still have far to climb to reach the top of the old Gothic Tower from where you have a brilliant view over the landscape. If you come by car you can cheat and drive round the back of the castle and get almost up to the eastern entrance. Finding a taxi is easier said than done in this small village though.

Opposite the castle on a lower hill-top you find the Spissky Kapitula, sometimes described as the Vatican of Slovakia with its nice Cathedral and many monasteries that now has been turned into hotels or B&B's. A few kilometres away, and also included in the World Heritage, is the small church of Zehra with unique frescos from the 12th century. At the time of my visit this one was closed for refurbishing but its still a nice one from outside.